Elongated lighting fixture



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16, 1956 B mm mw. W N L Mam NOV- 1959 w. L. LIPSCOMB 4 ELONGATED LIGHTING FIXTURE FiledMarch 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT0R. WILLIS L. LIPSCOMB United States Patent'O The present invention relates generally to lighting fixtures and more particularly to a structural componentfor use as a lateral frameand light control member in the manufactureof elongated lighting fixturesof various widths.

The primary object of. this invention is to provide a structural component for luminaires of the elongated type, that is, the type that are ordinarilyassociated with fluorescent lamps, this component being developed primarily for use as lateral frame members with the equally important function as elements to shield and direct light emanating from the fixture. The component has been developed with .a. view to facilitating itsuse in luminaires of various widths, the same components being used in many difle'rent fixtures having differently sized end caps and light grates and different numbers of lamps.

Another object of this invention is to provide a component for lighting fixtures which is extremely efficient in directing light downwardly at the sides of the fixture, while completely shielding the lamps from view from the sides of the fixture, and it is,important to note that this component insures that there will be no dark spot at the sides of the fixture, since the lower louvers are illuminated by the louvers immediately thereabove, and special provision has been made for the illumination of the exterior surface of the uppermost louver.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lighting fixturecomponent which is light in weight, yet extremely sturdy, and which will give proper support for a light grate.

Still another object of this invention is to provide such a component for lighting fixtures which can be manufactured inexpensively and which can be manufactured from several different materials, including metals and plastic, the installation of the component into lighting fixtures being easily accomplished bycraftsmen in the field concerned. a a

With these and other objects, which will appear as this description proceeds, definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be. hereinafter fully describedin thespecification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this disclosure and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective, of the component, portions being broken away to show the underlying portion in detail;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the component, on a slightly reduced scale;

Figure 3 is a View, in perspective, of a luminaire with this invention incorporated therein, this figure being proposed as showing clearly how the invention is to be used;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3, the scale in this figure being considerably larger than that in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a view, somewhat similar to Figure 4 Patented Nov. 17, 1959 2 and showing a modified form of this invention wherein the uppermost louver ,has an added horizontal panel with openings and shield reflectors therein.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly and primarily to Figuresl-4, it will first be noted that it is proposed to use two of the components generally indicated at 10 in any lighting fixture wherein this invention is to be employed. Such a lightingfixture or luminaire is indicated generally at 12 in Figure 3. Of course, the illustrated luminaire is exemplary only but any such 'luminaire will probably include a pair of end caps 14 with peripheral flanges 16 on the lateral and lower edges thereof, and such a luminaire will ordinarily employ fluorescent type lamps 18. Such a luminaire will also generally include a light grate of some type and a cellular light grate 20 is illustrated as being supported in the fixture beneath the lamps 18.

. I have illustrated this component as comprised of three louvers, the lowermost louver being indicated generally at 22, the intermediate louver at 26, and the uppermost louver being indicated generally. at 24. Each of these louvers has a principal portion 28 which will preferably be slightly inclined from the vertical, and it is important to note that the component-is generally inclined as possibly most clearly indicated in Figure 4. At the upper end of each principal portion of each louver is an angulated plate portion 30, and the upper surface of these plate portions 30 are co-planar. A plurality of inflexible straps 10 are secured as by welding or by some other analogous process, to the upper surfaces of the plates 20,.the straps 10 illustrated in the present drawings being comprised of angle iron or equivalent elements in aluminum or other metals or in plastic, it being preferred that these straps 10 shall have a horizontal flange and a vertical flange, the latter being ordinarily secured by any suitable means directly and rigidly to the corresponding end caps 14 of the lightingfixture.

The lowermost louver 22 being provided with a horizontal shelf 34 at its lower end, this shelf being flangelike in character and unitary with the lowermost louver. Of course, the shelf 34 will ordinarily extend the full length of the louver 22 and will be used to support the light grate 20, as best illustrated in Figure 4.

The uppermost louver 24 is provided, at the upper end of the principal portion 28 thereof, with a plate portion 30 which is modified from the form of the plate "the Clfiation of aldark spot near the top of the fixture. 'A preferred method of construction is the simple downward striking of rectangular portions of the plate portions 30 of the uppermost slat to provide the opening 36 and the shield reflector 38, since in this manner of manufacture the shield reflector will be almost perfectly dimensioned and positioned to shield the opening and at the same time allow passage of light therethrough, it being noted'that the shield reflector 38 is inclined downwardly and generally toward the exterior of the principal portion 28 of the uppermost slat. A strengthening flange 40 is provided at the upper and outer edge of the plate portion 30 of the uppermost slat, and the end cap 14 will ordinarily be configured to receive this strengthening flange, and the other adjacent portions of the above described component, within the flange 16 of the end cap, so that a neat appearance is preserved and the assembled fixture will have the required stability.

A slightly modified form of this invention is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein the uppermost slat generally indicated at 42 is of slightly different form, inasmuch as the plate portion 46 at the upper end of the principal portion 44 of this slat is provided with a horizontal panel 48 with openings 50 provided therein. These openings 50 correspond in function with the openings 36 in the prior described device, and shield reflectors 52, one of which is illustrated in Figure 5 will be provided for each of the light openings 50 as described above. Although it is not considered an essential part of the present invention which is primarily concerned with the provision of the component itself, it will be understood that the end cap used with the modified form of component will be slightly varied also, the modified end cap being indicated at 56 and it will be noted that the peripheral flange 58 of this modified end cap must be such as to receive the strengthening flange 54 of the component .as well as the terminal portions of each of the louvers thereof. As before, the opening 50 provides for the illumination of the exterior surface of the uppermost slat 42, the shield reflector 52 extending downwardly and generally toward the principal portion 44 of this uppermost slat 42.

It will be understood that minor variation from the disclosed forms of this invention may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, the principal portions 28 need not be uniform in dimension, nor do these principal portions require to be as nearly parallel as illustrated, and the angle at which they depend can be varied materially from that illustrated. The strap may also be varied as to actual form, and the mode of attachment of the strap to the end cap can be varied as conditions require. All such minor changes are envisioned as possibly necessary to adapt this component for use with a wide variety of lighting fixtures or luminaires.

I claim:

1. In an elongated lighting fixture, an outwardly and upwardly inclined lateral frame and light control mem ber comprising: a plurality of elongated, rectilinear, light directing louvers having principal portions thereof substantially parallel and inclined and in vertically stepped and horizontally offset relation to each other, and plate portions extending at an angle to said principal portions at the upper edges thereof and unitary therewith; the upper surfaces of said plate portions constituting reflectors and being co-planar; and inflexible straps rigidly secured to said surfaces at the ends of and at intervals along the length of said fixture, the lowermost of said louvers having means to support a light control grate, said means being a shelf substantially coextensive in length and unitary with the principal portion thereof and extending horizontally at the lower edge thereof, said shelf being narrow and having a fiat, horizontal upper surface.

-2. In an elongated lighting fixture, an outwardly and upwardly inclined lateral frame and luminaire member comprising: a plurality of light directing louvers having principal portions thereof substantially parallel and inclined and in vertically stepped and horizontally offset relation to each other, and plate portions extending at an angle to said principal portions at the upper edges thereof and unitary therewith; the upper surfaces of said plate portions constituting reflectors and being co-planar; and inflexible straps rigidly secured to said surfaces at the ends of and at intervals along the length of said fixture; the plate portion of the uppermost of said louvers having openings therein ofr illumination of the exterior surface of said principal portion of the uppermost louver when the fixture is used in a luminaire.

3. In an elongated lighting fixture, an outwardly and upwardly inclined lateral frame and luminaire member comprising: a plurality of light directing louvers having principal portions thereof substantially parallel and inclined and in vertically stepped and horizontally offset relation to each other, and plate portions extending at an angle to said principal portions at the upper edges thereof and unitary therewith; the upper surfaces of said plate portions constituting reflectors and being co-planar; and inflexible straps rigidly secured to said surfaces at the ends of and at intervals along the length of said fixture; and a strengthening flange unitary with and extending above said plate portion of the uppermost louver; the uppermost of said plate portions having openings and also having shield reflectors substantially coextensive with and covering said openings and disposed at an acute angle to the general plane of said uppermost plate portion.

4. A component according to claim 3 and wherein said uppermost plate portion includes a substantially horizontal panel, and said openings and shield reflectors are in said panel.

5. In an elongated lighting fixture: an upwardly and outwardly inclined lateral frame and light control member comprising a plurality of light directing louvers having principal portions substantially parallel and inclined in vertically stepped and horizontally offset relation to each other; plate portions extending at an angle to said principal portions at the upper edges thereof and unitary therewith; the upper surface of said plate portions constituting reflectors and being substantially coplanar; inflexible straps rigidly secured to said upper surfaces and extending transversely of 'said louvers and connecting the same; the lowermost-of said louvers having a narrow shelf substantially coextensive in length and unitary with the principal portion thereof and extending horizontally at the lower edge thereof; and a light control grate marginally supported on said shelf.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,193,191 Ritter Aug. 1, 1916 1,941,469 Glatthar et al. Jan. 2, 1934 2,196,214 Kantack Apr. 9, 1940 2,510,346 Nitardy June 6, 1950 2,732,484 Lipscomb Jan. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 731,021 Great Britain June 1, 1955 

